world of men's style / fashion / grooming

An UrbanDaddy Publication

09/04/2013

The Kempt Five

Najib Benouar

Every Wednesday we’re giving you a deeper look into what makes the minds behind Kempt tick. We call it: The Kempt Five.

The prep style of Blue Jasmine. “Much of the talk around Woody Allen's latest rightfully centers around Cate Blanchett's devastating performance (and, to a lesser extent, her smartly fashionable costuming). But we're digging the style worn by two of the male leads, Alec Baldwin and Peter Sarsgaard. Baldwin plays a scheming hedge fund manager, and his attire is all perfectly cut polos and sharp looking business suits--the armor of a man who is comfortable around (and enjoys spending) wealth. Sarsgaard's a bit less cosmopolitan, but looks every bit as dapper in a linen suit and button-down collars. (As for Andrew Dice Clay's loud shades and collars... let's just say they work great for the movie.)” —P.L.U.

Football. We are very much ready for some. “And therefore we're running this amazing photo of Hank Williams, Jr., even if he no longer asks us if we're ready in song.” —P.L.U.

The Space Pen. “I've always liked the idea of a pen that can write upside down, in below freezing temps and in other badass situations (like traveling to outer space) that my line of work usually doesn't involve--so, alas, I never really looked into it much. But when my fiance, an architect, mentioned pen issues on a recent site visit, I'd found the perfect excuse to get one (and while I was at it, I also got her one). Turns out the Fisher Space Pen comes in more shapes than that so-sleek-I'll-definitely-loose-it bullet favored by astronauts, so I settled on the M4G which has a clip to stay put in any shirt or jacket pocket and a stately lacquered brass finish. Plus it's encouraged me to jot down more ideas--though I'm still working on not dropping the pen while writing all of them upside down.” —N.B

Uniqlo Socks. “I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but it's nearly time to put the footloose and fancy free days of socklessness behind us for good this season. And whenever it comes to quickly replenishing my sock drawer, I pop into Uniqlo to pick over their Technicolor wall of sock-filled cubbies. You've got to buy five or six pairs to make it worth your while, so even though you originally set out to get a few normal colors, you always end up feeling the need to get creative--only to return home realizing you now own more than one pair of heathered purple socks when you could use a couple more standard navy pairs. Oh, well, next time. ” —N.B.

The Evolution of Forest Whittaker's Bow Tie in The Butler. “Admittedly, the film itself wasn't great. (Oprah's performance notwithstanding. That woman can do no wrong in my eyes.) But, what I can say is that if you pay attention to Whittaker's bow tie throughout, you'll notice that it follows the trends of the eras pretty impeccably. Classic in the '50s, batwing in the '60s, and a big 'ol silly-looking floppy butterfly in the '70s and early '80s. Cheers to the costume designer that really did her research.” —S.P.